Autodesk Fusion
Overview & Sales Fit
A comprehensive analysis of Autodesk, the Fusion platform — "a startup inside of Autodesk" — and why Brady Bjornson is the ideal Fusion Sales Account Executive for Named Accounts.
Company Overview
Autodesk is changing how the world is designed and made. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company empowers innovators across architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, media, and entertainment.
About Autodesk
Autodesk's transition to a SaaS model has resulted in a highly resilient business with compounding growth. FY2026 revenue reached $7.21B, an 18% year-over-year increase, with Q4 revenue of $1.96B growing 19%. The company's FY2027 guidance projects $8.10B–$8.17B in revenue, reflecting continued strong momentum.
Recognized as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies (two years running), and Forbes' World's Best Employers, Autodesk combines technological leadership with a culture of integrity and innovation.
Culture: One ORBIT
Autodeskers power forward together, driven by five shared values and their commitment to acting as One Autodesk.
Executive Leadership
"Fusion is a startup inside of Autodesk, and we're disrupting the manufacturing CAD CAM space with a cloud platform that enables seamless design and manufacturing workflows. There's nothing like it in the industry."
"We move fast, we test new ideas, we figure out what works, and we kill what doesn't. If you've got that fire in the belly, and you're looking to solve hard problems, and you want to be part of something that's scaling rapidly — you should keep listening."
— Alex Willingham, VP of Fusion Sales
From recruiter video shared with candidates
Product Portfolio
Autodesk Fusion is the cloud-based 3D CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB platform that transforms the product development process. This role focuses on Fusion Core — the flagship cloud CAD/CAM offering.
Cloud-Native Design & Make
Autodesk Fusion
Integrated CAD, CAM, CAE, PCB, and PDM essentials for design and collaboration in a single, unified workspace. The cloud-native platform that unifies the entire product development process.
Go-to-Market Strategy
The Fusion Sales Account Executive role is a high-stakes overlay position focused on driving strategic Fusion adoption, expansion, and usage growth inside Autodesk's Named Accounts. As VP Alex Willingham puts it: 'Fusion is a startup inside of Autodesk — we're going after bigger deals, larger companies, and we need the right people to help us execute.'
Enterprise Business Agreements (EBAs)
Drive Fusion usage, activation, and measurable value inside existing EBAs. Ensure groups onboard, adopt workflows, and generate outcomes that justify renewal and expansion.
Whitespace Prospecting
Hunt inside strategic accounts to unlock Fusion opportunities in divisions, teams, and workflows where Autodesk is not currently engaged. Find the hidden engineering teams.
Co-Selling Motion
Work side-by-side with Named Account Managers to co-own strategy, run deals end-to-end, or influence the broader account strategy for Fusion adoption.
Multi-Threading
Navigate across engineering, manufacturing, R&D, operations, and IT to uncover pain, build champions, and drive executive alignment at multiple levels.
Open Role Details
🔥The Startup Mentality
Unlike traditional enterprise sales orgs, the Fusion team operates with startup velocity inside Autodesk's enterprise infrastructure. Alex Willingham describes the culture: "We move fast, we test new ideas, we figure out what works, and we kill what doesn't. If you need everything buttoned up and predictable, this is probably not the right team for you."
This means the ideal candidate isn't just a quota-carrier — they're a builder who can operate in ambiguity, create their own playbook, and drive results without waiting for perfect conditions. Brady's history of prospecting into brand-new MBSE opportunities at Dassault and building pipeline from scratch at CATI demonstrates exactly this entrepreneurial DNA.
Success Metrics
Fusion usage & activation growth in EBA accounts
ACV and expansion revenue from non-EBA Fusion transactions
Opportunity creation from net-new divisions & workflows
Pipeline quality, progression, and forecast accuracy
Sales Fit Analysis
The Boomerang Advantage — Brady's prior Diamond Club success at Autodesk, combined with enterprise PLM and MBSE experience gained at Dassault Systèmes, creates an exceptional alignment with this role.
Influence inside large, multi-stakeholder enterprise accounts
Navigated 22+ stakeholders at Daikin Applied for a $2.5M+ enterprise PLM transformation. Closed the largest manufacturing deal in Autodesk history (GE, $15M+).
Strong hunting instincts to uncover new workflows and divisions
Built territory from scratch at CATI. Identified whitespace for MBSE at John Deere, connecting software capabilities to their autonomous and electric tractor initiatives.
Experience in overlay or co-selling environments
Extensive experience co-selling with Named Account Managers at Autodesk and Client Executives at Dassault Systèmes across complex enterprise deals.
Influence from technical users to Directors, VPs, and C-suite
Routinely engaged C-level executives, including Daikin's Chief Digital Officer, while maintaining credibility with engineering end-users on the shop floor.
Passion for cloud-native, AI-driven technology
Deep understanding of the shift from legacy desktop CAD to cloud platforms, and how AI features like generative design drive manufacturing disruption.
Startup mentality inside an enterprise structure
VP Alex Willingham describes Fusion as 'a startup inside of Autodesk.' Brady built pipeline from scratch at CATI, prospected into brand-new MBSE opportunities at Dassault, and thrives in ambiguity — exactly the 'fire in the belly' Alex is looking for.
Quota Attainment History
First Direct Sales 'Land'
152% Quota ($2.5M)
162% Quota — President's Club
128% Quota ($312K GP)
108% Quota (departing)
139% Quota — Diamond Club
Interview Playbook
Strategic guidance for positioning Brady's experience against the key themes the recruiter and hiring team will evaluate. Includes insights from Alex Willingham's (VP, Fusion Sales) recruiting video.
The recruiter emphasized prospecting and bringing a new product to the company — the ability to diagnose where Fusion fits within a large enterprise.
Lead with business catalysts, not product features. At John Deere, the catalyst was autonomous tractors and electrification — not 'we sell CAD software.'
Map the org chart before the first call. Identify which divisions are using legacy tools, which are running disconnected workflows, and where Fusion can consolidate.
Use the EBA as a door opener: 'Your company already owns Fusion licenses. Let me show you how this specific division can activate them to solve [specific pain].'
Build a hypothesis for every account: What are they building? What's their biggest engineering challenge? Where are the silos between design and manufacturing?
Fusion Core ROI & Value
A comprehensive breakdown of Fusion Core's 10 capability modules — each mapped to ROI impact, your CATI/SOLIDWORKS selling experience, and specific selling angles. Use this as a study reference for understanding exactly what Fusion does, why it matters, and how your background directly applies.
Fusion Core is a unified design-to-manufacture platform — not a collection of separate tools. Understanding each capability module, its ROI impact, and how it maps to your CATI/SOLIDWORKS selling experience will help you articulate Fusion's value with deep credibility. Click each module to expand the full breakdown.
Deal Case Studies
Two enterprise deals that demonstrate the exact skills required for the Fusion Sales AE role: whitespace prospecting, complex stakeholder navigation, and connecting software to strategic business initiatives.
John Deere
$650K
9 months
Randall Satterthwaite
Codebeamer (MBSE)
This deal demonstrates exactly what the Fusion AE role requires: identifying whitespace inside a massive enterprise by connecting a software capability to a strategic business initiative. The same approach applies to finding Fusion opportunities within Named Accounts.
GE Aviation
$300K+
7 months
Timothy Swanson
Codebeamer (MBSE)
This deal showcases the ability to sell into highly regulated, technically complex environments — exactly the kind of enterprise sophistication required for Autodesk's largest Named Accounts in aerospace and defense.
Talking Points
Conversation openers and supporting context for key interview themes. Each point is designed to demonstrate domain expertise and strategic thinking.
"My experience selling against SolidWorks gives me the exact playbook needed to position Fusion's cloud-native architecture as the superior choice for distributed engineering teams."
Having competed against SolidWorks at Dassault's own company, I understand both the strengths and weaknesses of the legacy desktop approach. Fusion's cloud architecture, AI features, and integrated CAM create a compelling alternative that I can articulate from direct competitive experience.
Cloud-native vs. desktop-first architecture is the defining competitive battleground
AI features (generative design, AutoConstrain) are differentiators legacy tools can't match
Integrated CAD/CAM eliminates the data translation errors that plague multi-tool workflows
"At John Deere, I didn't just sell software — I connected our MBSE solution directly to their autonomous tractor and Kreisel battery-electric initiatives. I know how to find the business catalyst that drives new product adoption."
The recruiter emphasized prospecting and diagnosing where a company can utilize Fusion. My approach is to start with the customer's strategic initiatives — not our product features — and work backward to identify where Fusion creates value.
Start with the customer's annual report and press releases to identify strategic engineering initiatives
Map those initiatives to specific engineering teams and workflows where Fusion can add value
Use the EBA as a door opener, not a crutch — 'you already own it, let me help you activate it'
"Having closed the $15M+ GE EBA deal during my previous tenure, I understand the Named Accounts motion intimately. I'm returning with deeper enterprise PLM experience to drive Fusion activation."
The boomerang narrative is powerful: I left Autodesk as Diamond Club winner and New Business Rep of the Year, gained deep enterprise experience at Dassault Systèmes selling PLM and MBSE into the world's most complex accounts, and now I'm returning with a broader skill set to drive Fusion growth.
Diamond Club FY18 + New Business Rep of the Year proves cultural fit and sales execution
Dassault experience adds competitive intelligence and enterprise PLM depth
The combination creates a unique profile: Autodesk DNA + enterprise maturity
"I've sold across the entire manufacturing stack — from CAD and CAM to PLM and MBSE. I know how to talk to machinists about 5-axis toolpathing just as effectively as I talk to VPs about consolidating their software footprint."
Fusion for Manufacturing is a key growth vector. My experience selling into manufacturing environments means I can speak the language of the shop floor while building business cases for the boardroom.
Manufacturing buyers care about cycle time, tool life, and surface finish — not software features
The CAD-to-CAM workflow is where Fusion's integration creates the most tangible ROI
Consolidation narrative resonates: replace 3-5 tools with one platform
90-Day Onboarding Plan
A structured approach to ramping quickly, building pipeline, and delivering early results in the Fusion Sales AE role. Designed to align with Alex Willingham's vision: 'We move fast, we test new ideas, we figure out what works.'
Structured for Speed
Three phases designed to build knowledge, generate pipeline, and deliver measurable results within the first quarter.
Learn & Prepare
Complete Fusion product certification — deep dive into Fusion Core CAD, CAM, simulation, and generative design capabilities
Reverse engineer the quota: understand the split between EBA activation revenue and net-new ACV targets
Map every Named Account in the territory — identify EBA status, current Fusion usage, key contacts, and whitespace hypotheses
Shadow top-performing Fusion AEs on 5+ customer calls to understand the current sales motion and objection handling
Build relationships with Named Account Managers and align with Alex Willingham's team on the 'startup inside Autodesk' operating model — understand how the Fusion team tests, iterates, and scales
Study competitive landscape: SolidWorks positioning, Siemens NX enterprise plays, PTC Creo/Onshape cloud narrative
Deliver a territory plan with prioritized accounts, whitespace hypotheses, and 90-day pipeline targets to sales leadership.
Build Momentum
Begin outbound prospecting into top 10 whitespace opportunities using Outreach sequences tailored to each account's strategic initiatives
Conduct discovery calls with 15+ new contacts across Named Accounts — focus on engineering leaders and manufacturing directors
Co-develop 3 account strategies with Named Account Managers, identifying specific Fusion expansion plays
Deliver 2 Fusion value presentations to prospect accounts, customized to their industry and engineering challenges
Build pipeline: target 3x quota coverage in qualified opportunities by end of Phase 2
Leverage Gong to analyze call recordings and refine messaging based on what resonates with different buyer personas
Pipeline review with sales leadership showing 3x coverage, qualified opportunities in MEDDPICC framework, and clear next steps for each deal.
Drive Results
Progress top opportunities through technical evaluation and POC stages — leverage Fusion SE team for custom demonstrations
Drive Fusion activation within 2+ EBA accounts — identify specific divisions, schedule onboarding, and track usage metrics
Close first net-new ACV deal or advance a deal to final negotiation stage
Establish a repeatable play for breaking into complex enterprise environments — document the approach for team enablement
Build executive relationships in top 3 accounts — schedule QBRs or strategy sessions with VP+ stakeholders
Contribute to team knowledge: share competitive insights, objection handling techniques, and account intelligence from Dassault experience
First closed deal or advanced negotiation, 2+ EBA activations in progress, and a documented repeatable play for Fusion whitespace prospecting.
Conclusion
Autodesk is leading the transformation of how the world is designed and made, and Fusion is at the forefront of this cloud-native, AI-driven revolution. The Named Accounts strategy requires a seller who can navigate massive enterprises, co-sell effectively, and hunt for whitespace.
Brady Bjornson's history — including his previous Diamond Club success at Autodesk, his enterprise wins at Dassault Systèmes, and his proven ability to connect complex engineering software to strategic business initiatives like John Deere's autonomous tractors — makes him an exceptional fit for the Fusion Sales Account Executive role.
"If you've got that fire in the belly, and you're looking to solve hard problems, and you want to be part of something that's scaling rapidly — this could be your chance to be part of something that's just getting started."
— Alex Willingham, VP of Fusion Sales
What I'm Looking For
I'm looking for a role where I can combine my deep Autodesk knowledge with the enterprise sales maturity I've built over the past several years. The Fusion Sales AE position represents the perfect intersection of my experience: a cloud-native product I believe in, a Named Accounts motion I've mastered, and a company culture I already know and love.
I'm ready to come home to Autodesk and drive Fusion growth in the most strategic accounts in the portfolio.